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Top state officials responded Friday. South Dakota Chief Justice David Gilbertson said he plans to appoint a task force to study mental illness and its impacts on the criminal justice system. And Gov. Dennis Daugaard offered his first comments on the subject in an interview.

Here's what he had to say about the problem and the possible solutions:

On Chief Justice Gilbertson...

"His involvement will ensure we have access to data the court systems have that will help task force members fully understand the problem and its roots. His knowledge on how other states are grappling with the problem will also help."

On Argus Leader Media's investigation…

"I have read some of the stories. I have to say I appreciate your series to help inform the public about the issue. I think it also put a human face on it. It’s one thing to talk about a system or concepts or services, but it always helps people understand when you tell the story of a person and they see it in application.

"(The length of delays) was very concerning to me. We don’t want people put behind bars who have mental health issues that should be treated or could be treated. We want those things to be identified sooner than later."

"I think this is everyone’s problem. It’s your problem. It’s my problem. It’s everybody's problem. The state’s statutes provide that the counties are the ones who must pay for it. So they feel more than anyone the consequences of the delays. But I do think it would be best to have many different stakeholders engaged in the study of the problem because one thing I’ve learned in my five years as governor is not to jump to a solution until fully examining the problem. It’s important to ask for input from stakeholders who are involved in stages and in different ways."

On the mental health professional workforce...

"Certainly we need to look at workforce if there is a shortage in this area. We’ve had discussions about access to all type of health care professionals whether it be mental health or physical health, in particularly in rural areas. We have been striving."